The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-13
WESLEY WEIGH.
Remarkable Feats Performed by . Tonnes
Genius.

Remarkable Feats Performed by Tonnes
ace Genius.
Bon Aqua Springs Letter in Nashville American.
Natures own, Wesley WEIGH. lives FIVE miles
from Bon Aqua Springs. but he is q favorite at
this place, and passes back and forth two or
three times day. He is a sagacious fellow,
and makes more money about the place than all
the couutrymen of the vicinity. 1t is his boast
that for the sixteen years he has been about
these springs he has neve- offended anybody.
He never went to school, but his associations
have given him polish and affabilty, and his
language would hardly betray lack of education.
Wesley was bound boy, and so unhappily stu
ated that he ran away at the age OF ten.
driver for about year. He afterwards
with FORESTS Cavalry several months. On
Saturday evening in that terrible battle along
the Chickamauga he was captured by the Fourth
Illinois Regiment Though native of Dixon
county, his parents had moved to Illinois and
he had brother in the Fourth Regiment. The
two were soon together. A suit of blue put
on the lad and he served the Union cause under
Fitzpatrick to the end of the war. He carries
leaden ball in his breast 1.-THE wound indicates
that it was a center snotl and he has the mark
of saber across his hand He returned to
Dixon after the war and married. His
first great sorrow came to him in the death OF
children, daughter. eighteen years younger
than her father. is his housekeeper.
Wesley WEIGH is an athletic prodigy. He has
gone barefooted every summer of his life. His
fret shoes he paid for with quais that he
trapped. He never took medicine: was never sick.
His speed and endurance on foot are wonderful
noted fox chase is recalled, in which ne caught
the fox after q run of four hours. when all but
two of twenty-five hounds had held out in the
run of from fifteen to twenty miles. He refers
to Mr.. Goodwin and Major Jones. of Memphis,
who saw him catch the fox. About twenty men
on horseback started in the chase. Re is conf
dent he can excel in speed and endurance both
hound and horse in long race. He has made
mile in a minute and fifty eight seconds and ten
miles in eighty minutes. He has walked from
his home to Nashville by o'clock in the after
longest and best walk was from Atlanta
to Chattanooga in a day and night. lao miles.
He had two companions on the start. but left
them behind. On hard journey of this kind
he wants no food but sweetened coffee, and he
will refrain from eating the day or so before
band n de says Wv. we eat cat IT., too much
and beef to hog meat, and regards chicken
the worst of meats. He has experimental with
the poison of snakes and the odor of polecats.
Snake poison will dry ND when bottled for a
long time, but the substance that gives that ter
rifle odor from the polecat will remain undi-
mnshed for years. He regards it as the best
fumigator in existence. and believes that IL will
prevent cholera and yellow fever. Moreover,
that it will prevent seasickness.
He is surprised that many people are afraid
of snakes, and regards the only dangerous
as the copperhead and the cottonmouth. Even
the Indian, when bitten by one of these will 60
and wrap himself in his couch to die. There are
antidotes to the poisons of other reptiles. He
can rub a certain herb between his hands and
make the rattlesnake docie, and stop up pole
cat for several days, depriving it of a certain
heritage, catanine, and the odor will leave it en-
tirely.
In the of gun he challenges competition.
and tells of having driven the center nineteen
times i'll twenty shots, ten PAGES. OFF hand. He
would not hunt with man who shoots birds on
the ground or sets traps for them.
As fisherman he is a noted expert. He
won't monkey with hook" In an emergency
he will take a sledge-hammer and pound on the
rocks underneath which they hide IN clear
and on the surface dead He illustrated for DR..
Stafford some time the power of dynamite.
He went to very deep hole in the Turn BULL
disturbed the water as to have the fish go
down to the deep part and threw in the dyna-
mite tied to a rock and says it not only killed
everything. but split the base rock in twain /
The water is so clear that the rent rock may be
seen easily. His usual method is to dive after
the fish. feeling for them under the rocks. The
greatest fight of his life occurred such
occasion. He had dived and was pressing
a fine cat which got in a hole or crevice of
the rocks, when by q turn of the hand he found
he was fastened. The idea of losing his life
foolishly mortified him, and he made desper-
ate pull, leaving part of the flesh in tho crev;ce
He determined to pull loose even if he should
have to pull the arm off, if possible Hs did an
other perilous thing in exploring the Murrell
cave. DIR. Vance and Frank Scaff, OF Memphis
went in with him; they all went to where the oil
would not burn in their lamps, and then he went
out, got torch an d went further in. he thinks
further than anybody else went He ar
rived at a lake and could go no further MUIR
rell's name is in the cave. He had interest
ing experiment with fish in winter. He man
aged to drive fine lot under ice to the end
of slough. He cut q trench in the ice, dropped
a plank in and then caught them with his hands,
throwing them on the ice. They froze rapidly,
some of them adhering to the ice. On taking
them home he said he did not like to clean them
frozen, and friend who was present suggested
that he put them the spring and let them
thaw. He did put them in the spring,
and he was amazed to sec them 60 to swim
ming.
Welch's Methodist wife stayed at home and
took care of the children, proud of her husband,
but was less happy while he was away in Arkan-
sas and Missouri hunting, and again in the
mountains of East Tennessee or searching bat
tIe-field. Their children take after the mother,
and, though he has lands and money, his only
ambition is to educate them. He believes if he
will sill their heads" they will do enough be-
sides.